Business Buzz: Medicine Men

Shopping local is a noble goal, but it has its limits – good luck finding Phoenix-made toilet paper or cotton swabs. Some may think prescription medications would fall squarely in big-box territory, but a flurry of pharmaceutical upstarts and a few old standbys are proving that assumption wrong.

Take Medmetrics Compounding Pharmacy, opened by pharmacists Taylor Froiland (above, left) and Adam McCown (right) in Chandler’s Ocotillo neighborhood about three years ago. “We met working in a big-box retail environment and decided that wasn’t a good long-term fit,” McCown says. “We started talking and daydreaming about what it would look like if we opened our own store.” They wanted to offer traditional medications, but have the latitude to customize and specialize. “We like the compounding aspect because it can really be tailored to an individual patient’s needs,” McCown says.

“Compounding” is pharmacist-speak for making the medications themselves on-site. This practice is helpful in a number of instances, but most notably in hormone replacement therapy (“little dosage fluctuations can make a big difference in patient response”), veterinary medicine (“sometimes dogs and cats can use similar medications to what we use, but the dose isn’t right”) and the case of allergies and sensitivities (“we can make a really clean version of [medication] where it’s just the pure drug and a hypoallergenic filler… no contamination”).

Medmetrics joins a coterie of other independent pharmacies in town, including Camelback Compounding Pharmacy and Metier Pharmacy in Arcadia, Potter’s House Apothecary in Peoria and Valley of the Sun Pharmacy in North Phoenix. Most accept all insurance plans, and prices are fairly consistent. Many belong to pharmacy groups that afford them more power and support in purchasing and contract negotiations with insurers and drug suppliers. Proving they can compete with corporate pharmacies for customers’ undivided attention is another matter.

“We want that niche, we want that kind of boutique message, but we also want it to extend to ‘…and all the other stuff, too,’” McCown says of more orthodox pharmacy offerings. “That’s kind of our biggest challenge.”

APP CORNER

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MOVIE PERKSIn March, Harkins Theatres announced a $150 million remodel of its more than 30 theaters. Upgrades include new seats (plush, leather, reclining, electronic), extra-large auditoriums, and in-lobby bars and lounges. We love a swanky cinema, but it got us wondering: What else will moviegoers demand from filmhouses? Will these amenities come soon to a theater near you?

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